The graduate transfer quarterback – who started the first seven games of the season before ultimately being replaced by junior Sean Maguire – left the team because of personal reasons, according to an FSU spokesperson.

Golson was not at the last practice FSU had open to media in Tallahassee on Dec. 18. Coach Jimbo Fisher said Golson was not at that practice because of a death in the family.

Golson’s tenure in Tallahassee, much like most of his career, is difficult to definitively define as a success or failure.

The signal caller enrolled at FSU this summer after two seasons of fluctuating play as Notre Dame’s starter in 2012 and ’14. He beat Maguire for the starting job just before the start of the season and helped guide FSU to a 6-0 start while throwing 11 touchdowns to zero interceptions. FSU’s offense, however, never truly clicked with Golson at the helm and the unit’s deficiencies were exposed in a 22-16 loss to Georgia Tech in late October. Golson struggled inside the red zone – just as he had all season – against the Yellow Jackets, throwing his first interception of the year deep in Georgia Tech territory during a decisive fourth quarter.

Golson, according to Fisher, exhibited concussion-like symptoms the week following the Georgia Tech game. FSU opted to go with Maguire the next game against Syracuse, although Golson was cleared to play, and stuck with the Maguire versus Clemson. Fisher then went back to Golson against NC State but pulled him after he threw two interceptions and lost a fumble in the first half. Maguire came into the game, completed 18 of 28 passes for two touchdowns and an interception, and never relinquished the starting job.

Golson completed 147 of 219 passes for 1,778 yards and 11 touchdowns to three interceptions this season. Fisher only allowed the senior to speak to the media once – during the program’s ‘media day’ in August – while he was enrolled at FSU. During that interview, Golson said it was Fisher’s coaching style and success molding quarterbacks that attracted him to FSU.

“[Fisher] told me that there were no promises, you weren’t going to get the starting spot,” Golson said in August. “I think that over anything, that’s what maybe attracted me to him so much more because you can go anywhere, they fill your head up with different things. But it really comes out to be broken promises at the end of the day. For him to really tell me the real of the situation, I respected that so much more.”

Fisher gave Golson plenty of chances. But the limited time to work together and mixed results on the field ultimately led to the end of the experiment.